Goulash for Good Gouls

Yesterday's woohooit'sFriday! meal was goulash. (I have a gut feeling that this picture is not entirely appetizing, but I am so tainted from the goulash fumes that I can't look at it without having a Pavlovian moment.)

I had to try this after a friend sent me a email lovingly devoted to the siren song of goulash. Clearly, she was also high on goulash fumes. The recipe (annoying, but you need to log into ATK to get it) was easy enough for me to throw together and was a good excuse to add more sour cream to my diet. Since no browning of the beef chuck is involved, my friend use her slow cooker to make it, which I'll try to do the next time I need an easy meal and don't have time to stick around the house to babysit an active oven.

My only modification was that I only used 1 onion, which I suppose is a huge modification since the recipe calls for 4 of them. My eyes were teary after 1 onion, and my food processor was full of the spice paste, so I gave up.

My chuck came from Marin Sun Farms, and like everything else I've bought from them, it was goooood. Since Berkeley Bowl West carries MSF at a very reasonable price and it is on the way home when I drive via the dreaded freeway, we haven't been to the main store in Pt. Reyes in ages. I miss our kayaking trips, though, so we'll have to go there again soon. (Pssst, there is also local wool sold in cones at the Pt. Reyes store...)

It was strange for me to eat something so read without there being any hot peppers in it. I think I may add a some chillies next time since I like a little heat, especially if I know more heat means I can add more sour cream.